2030

RARE CLEVELAND INSPECTED NICKELED COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:4,000.00 USD Estimated At:8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
RARE CLEVELAND INSPECTED NICKELED COLT CAVALRY SINGLE ACTION ARMY REVOLVER.
SN 35556. Cal. 45 Colt. Nickel finish with 7-1/2" bbl, full front sight and 1-line block letter address. Left side of frame has 3-line patent dates and a small "U.S.". Mounted with a 1-pc ivory grip consisting of two slabs of ivory attached to two wooden spacer blocks as originally produced by Colt. Ejector housing is first type with bull's eye ejector rod head. Frame, bbl & cyl all have the "J.T.C." (John T. Cleveland) sub-inspector initials. All visible SNs are matching and the bbl & cyl have last four digits of matching SN. According to A Study of the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, Graham, Kopec & Moore, p. 249 identifies this revolver and another by SN as one of two known nickeled Cleveland inspected U.S. revolvers and states "It is believed that these two revolvers were special ordered for officer's personal use. In a later publication Cavalry & Artillery Revolvers...A Continuing Study, Kopec & Fenn, on p. 49 identify eight nickeled revolvers of the Cleveland series, by SN, but do not include this one, with the notation that they may be buyback revolvers with one listed as "condemned" and another an "overrun". It is known that Springfield Armory did accept orders from officers in the field for revolvers with nickel plating. Accompanied by a Colt factory letter which identifies this revolver in caliber 45 with bbl length, finish & type of stocks not listed, sold to the U.S. Government and delivered at the Colt factory Feb. 13, 1877 in a 203-gun shipment. The date of delivery of this revolver certainly coincides with prime Indian War issues and it seems unlikely that the government, once a firearm had been received would have released it to the public instead of being issuing it to a trooper in the field. CONDITION: Very fine, all matching except grip which is unnumbered. Overall retains most of its strong nickel finish with slight wear losses around the muzzle, some light flaking on the bbl, backstrap & buttstrap and a little heavier flaking on the cyl; hammer retains 40-50% milky nickel and the screw heads dark blue. Grip is sound with numerous small age lines and some rust staining around the back & buttstrap slots, corresponding to light rust spotting on the sides of the backstrap & buttstrap; grip is slightly shrunken. Hammer is not solid in safety or half cock notches, otherwise mechanics are fine, bright shiny bore with some very fine orange peel type pitting. 4-48754 JR336